-- San Antonio Spurs with Most International Players at Eight, France has Strongest Representation with 10 Players ---- Twenty-Nine Teams Feature at Least One International Player --

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2012 – Opening-night rosters for the 2012-13 NBA season feature a record-tying 84 international players, previously set in 2010-11, from 37 countries and territories. The opening-night record for countries and territories is 38, and was also set in the 2010-11 season. Twenty-nine of the 30 teams feature at least one international player.

The San Antonio Spurs have a record for the most ever international players on a team roster with eight, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves with five each. Five teams have four players (Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trailblazers, and Toronto Raptors), and 11 teams have three players.

France is the most represented country, boasting 10 players, and Canada follows with the country’s most players ever with eight. Brazil and Spain each have five players on team rosters.

San Antonio takes the title for the most internationally diverse team, with six countries represented: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, and US Virgin Islands. Also boosting the record number this year are 17 international rookies from 12 countries.

At the end of the 2011-12 regular season, the NBA featured 78 international players from 35 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive).

The following is a complete list of international players on 2012-13 NBA opening-night rosters (both active and inactive):

NATIONALITY

BIRTHPLACE

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

NBA TEAM

Argentina

Carlos

Delfino

Houston Rockets

Emanuel "Manu"

Ginobili

San Antonio Spurs

Pablo

Prigioni

New York Knicks

Luis

Scola

Phoenix Suns

Australia

Andrew

Bogut

Golden State Warriors

Kyrie

Irving1

Cleveland Cavaliers

Patrick

Mills

San Antonio Spurs

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Mirza

Teletovic

Brooklyn Nets

Brazil

Leandro

Barbosa

Boston Celtics

Nene

Hilario

Washington Wizards

Fab

Melo

Boston Celtics

Tiago

Splitter

San Antonio Spurs

Anderson

Varejao

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cameroon

Luc

Mbah A Moute

Milwaukee Bucks

Canada

Joel

Anthony

Miami Heat

Samuel

Dalembert2

Milwaukee Bucks

Cory

Joseph

San Antonio Spurs

Kris

Joseph

Boston Celtics

South Africa

Steve

Nash3

Los Angeles Lakers

Andrew

Nicholson

Orlando Magic

Robert

Sacre

Los Angeles Lakers

Tristan

Thompson

Cleveland Cavaliers

Congo

Serge

Ibaka4

Oklahoma City Thunder

Czech Republic

Jan

Vesely

Washington Wizards

Democratic Republicof the Congo

Bismack

Biyombo

Charlotte Bobcats

Dominican Republic

Francisco

Garcia

Sacramento Kings

Al

Horford

Atlanta Hawks

France

Nicolas

Batum

Portland Trail Blazers

Guadeloupe

Rodrigue

Beaubois

Dallas Mavericks

Nando

De Colo

San Antonio Spurs

Boris

Diaw

San Antonio Spurs

Evan

Fournier

Denver Nuggets

Ian

Mahinmi

Indiana Pacers

Belgium

Tony

Parker5

San Antonio Spurs

Johan

Petro

Atlanta Hawks

French Guiana

Kevin

Seraphin

Washington Wizards

Martinique

Ronny

Turiaf

Los Angeles Clippers

Georgia

Zaza

Pachulia

Atlanta Hawks

Tornike

Shengelia

Brooklyn Nets

Germany

Dirk

Nowitzki

Dallas Mavericks

Great Britain

Sudan

Luol

Deng6

Chicago Bulls

Joel

Freeland

Portland Trail Blazers

Iran

Hamed

Haddadi

Memphis Grizzlies

Israel

Omri

Casspi

Cleveland Cavaliers

Italy

Andrea

Bargnani

Toronto Raptors

Marco

Belinelli

Chicago Bulls

Danilo

Gallinari

Denver Nuggets

Jamaica

Samardo

Samuels

Cleveland Cavaliers

Latvia

Andris

Biedrins

Golden State Warriors

Lithuania

Linas

Kleiza

Toronto Raptors

Donatas

Motiejunas

Houston Rockets

Jonas

Valanciunas

Toronto Raptors

Mexico

Gustavo

Ayon

Orlando Magic

Montenegro

Nikola

Pekovic

Minnesota Timberwolves

Nikola

Vucevic

Orlando Magic

Nigeria

Festus

Ezeli

Golden State Warriors

Poland

Marcin

Gortat

Phoenix Suns

Puerto Rico

Jose Juan

Barea

Minnesota Timberwolves

Russia

Andrei

Kirilenko

Minnesota Timberwolves

Timofey

Mozgov

Denver Nuggets

Alexey

Shved

Minnesota Timberwolves

Senegal

DeSagana

Diop

Charlotte Bobcats

Serbia

Darko

Milicic

Boston Celtics

Montenegro

Aleksandar

Pavlovic

Portland Trail Blazers

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Vladimir

Radmanovic7

Chicago Bulls

Slovenia

Goran

Dragic

Phoenix Suns

Beno

Udrih

Milwaukee Bucks

Spain

Jose Manuel

Calderon

Toronto Raptors

Victor

Claver

Portland Trail Blazers

Marc

Gasol

Memphis Grizzlies

Pau

Gasol

Los Angeles Lakers

Ricky

Rubio

Minnesota Timberwolves

Sweden

Jonas

Jerebko

Detroit Pistons

Jeff

Taylor

Charlotte Bobcats

Switzerland

Thabo

Sefolosha

Oklahoma City Thunder

Tanzania

Hasheem

Thabeet

Oklahoma City Thunder

Turkey

Omer

Asik

Houston Rockets

Ersan

Ilyasova

Milwaukee Bucks

Enes

Kanter

Utah Jazz

Hidayet "Hedo"

Turkoglu

Orlando Magic

Ukraine

Viacheslav

Kravtsov

Detroit Pistons

U.S Virgin Islands

Raja

Bell

Utah Jazz

Tim

Duncan

San Antonio Spurs

Venezuela

Greivis

Vasquez

New Orleans Hornets

Key
1 = Born in Austraila, moved to US. Holds dual citizenship.
2 = Born in Haiti, raised in Canada and became Canadian citizen in 2007
3 = Born in South Africa, raised in Canada
4 = Born in Congo, moved to Spain. Holds dual citizenship
5 = Born in Belgium
6 = Born in South Sudan, became British citizen in 2006
7 = Born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and raised in Serbia